


The Shirt

by GalahadWilder



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Light Sin, Reveal, fluff fluff fluffies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-31
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2018-12-09 10:32:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 13,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11667342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GalahadWilder/pseuds/GalahadWilder
Summary: On a cold night in January, Chat Noir lends Ladybug his jacket--only to find Marinette wearing it to class the next day. And that's just the beginning of the trouble.





	1. Where the Trouble Started

"Whose idea was January patrol, anyway?" Ladybug said, lighting on the top of Notre Dame cathedral. "It's freezing up here!"

"I believe it was yours, My Lady," Chat Noir responded as he scrambled up the side of the building to join her. He sat down, legs over the edge, looking out over Paris. "I offered to take your patrols this month, but you insisted."

Ladybug huffed. "I did, I did." She rubbed her arms, the spandex squeaking between her hands and her biceps. "I wish my suit had better insulation."

Chat grinned. "I could warm you, if you'd like." He waggled his eyebrows.

"Actually, that... doesn't sound so bad," Ladybug said, folding herself in next to him and nestling herself in between his arms. "Waaarmth vaaaaampiiiiire!"

"Agh! No!" Chat Noir mock-struggled, pretending to attempt to escape while only succeeding in enfolding her further in his arms. "She is stealing my warmth! I'm... freezing... to death..." he croaked, pulling her head against his chest. "Tell... my father... he's a diiiiiiick..." And then he flopped over, pulling Ladybug down on top of him.

She giggled. "Seriously, Kitty, how are you so  _warm?_ "

Chat Noir bent down to look at her. God, she was so cute like this. "I found out about a month ago that what we're wearing underneath the suits changes how warm they are," he said. "I'm wearing, like, five coats under here."

"Oh!" Ladybug said, pushing away from him.  _Noooo, My Lady, come baaack._ But he met her eyes and lost all thought of pulling her back to him. "Can I... borrow one?"

Chat jerked in surprise. "Oh, uh, sure," he said. "Just, uh, turn around so I can transform?"

"Oh yeah." Ladybug giggled. "Can't have me seeing you 'naked,' can we."

Thankfully, she'd already turned around, so she couldn't see him blushing.

"R-right," he said. "Plagg, claws in!" A wave of green light washed over him, and suddenly Chat Noir was replaced by Adrien Agreste, black leather catsuit replaced by multiple layers of jacket. He unzipped the topmost and put it around Ladybug's shoulders.

"Thank you, Minou," she breathed.

Shivers ran across his skin that had nothing to do with the cold. "No problem, My Lady," he said. "Claws out!"

She turned back as soon as the green light had vanished again. "You're so sweet," she said, reaching up to his face and kissing him on the cheek.

***

"Damn it, Tikki, I'm late!" Marinette shrieked as she launched herself out of bed the next morning. "Where's my bag?"

The cheerful red bug held up the black-and-pink bag that held Marinette's books. "At least you're already dressed," she remarked.

Marinette did not hear her, simply swiping her out of the air and stuffing her--gently--in her purse.

Tikki giggled. Marinette didn't realize that was still wearing Adrien's jacket. Today was going to be fun.

***

Marinette made it into class just before the bell rang. This was not unusual.

What WAS unusual, Adrien noticed, was that she was not wearing her usual jacket. Instead, she was wearing a jacket in black and vibrant green. Chat Noir's colors. In fact, he'd only seen that jacket once before--on himself. Until he'd given it to Ladybug.

"Girl, where'd you get that jacket?" Alya whispered to Marinette as Mme. Bustier began her lecture.

"Borrowed it from a friend," Marinette whispered back.

  
That was the last thing Adrien heard, before Nino was shaking him and the class was filing out of the room. "Dude, you okay?" he asked. "You kinda zonked out after class started."

With a start, Adrien realized that he'd missed an entire class, and all he'd thought about, the entire time, was the girl sitting behind him. The impossible, incredible girl who sometimes reminded him so much of his Ladybug.

Son of a bitch whAT IF MARINETTE WAS LADYBUG?

  
Before he knew it, he was dragging Nino out of the class, and pulled him into the boys' bathroom. He grabbed his friend by the lapels and shook him. Hard.

He could barely control his mouth at this point; he was practically jelly. He was surprised that what said was even barely coherent.

“She’s wearing my shirt why is she wearing my shirt NINO WHY IS SHE WEARING MY SHIRT”


	2. Early Reveal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien learns the answer to his question, and it's better than anything he could have imagined.

“I don’t know, man,” Nino said. “Marinette just sort of likes stealing your stuff.”

Adrien stared at him. “…What?”

Nino shrugged. “I saw her steal your phone out of your locker once. And that Valentine’s note you wrote, she grabbed that out of the trash can. Never thought she’d go into your closet, though…” He craned his neck to stare at her. “Her crush on you might be getting a little weird,” he said, scratching the back of his neck.

“Her WHAT?” Adrien said, only half-listening. He’d written that note to Ladybug. He’d given that jacket to Ladybug. He’d… oh god. Suddenly, a lot of things made sense.

“Yeah, dude,” Nino said. “Girl’s got a huuuuge crush on you.”

Adrien grabbed his arm. “I need to talk to her.”

***

Marinette hadn’t been expecting Adrien to pull her aside after class, but that’s exactly what he did.

“Where did you get that shirt?” he said, breathless, urgent.

Marinette’s breath hitched. Oh god, did he know something? What if he knew something? “I, em, why?”

He stared into her eyes. “Marinette. Please.”

“A friend gave it to me?”

Adrien’s lips tightened. “Which friend?”

She stared at him, shaking.

Adrien put his hand on her shoulder. “Please, Mari. This is… this is really important to me.”

“…Chat Noir,” she squeaked. “I got it from Chat Noir.”

Adrien stared at her for a moment, incredulous, unbelieving. “Of course I fell in love with her,” he murmured. “She’s YOU.” Then, impossibly, his soft, warm lips were crashing down on hers.

“My Lady,” he whispered, when they finally broke apart. “My Marinette. I finally found you.”


	3. Marinette Overload

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette fainted after Adrien's kiss. Now, he's waiting for her in the nurse's station, but someone smells juicy gossip--and Alya isn't waiting for answers.

“WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO MY GIRL, AGRESTE?!?” Alya screeched, bursting through the door of the nurse’s office.

Adrien shot out of his chair, throwing himself against the back wall. “Nothing, I swear!” he said. He knew Alya wasn’t going to hurt him, but, still… he didn’t want to take any chances. “I just kissed her is all!”

Alya blinked. “You did what?”

Adrien straightened, rubbing the back of his neck. “I… kissed her?”

A positively massive smile spread across Alya’s face. “Way to go Adrien!” she said, slapping him on the back. “Still, you gotta warn the poor girl first, too much of a shock and she’ll just short-circuit with glee.”

“Wait, what? What’s going on? Nino said she had a crush on me, but I though–”

“Crush, nothing,” Alya interrupted, sliding up close to him and throwing an arm around his shoulder. She looked toward the door, behind which Marinette - His LADY - was waiting, having fainted from the excitement. “Marinette’s been head-over-heels in love with you since the thing with the umbrella.”

The umbrella? Adrien gasped. He remembered that moment - that moment in the rain, when she’d forgiven him, she’d given him a second chance, when he’d made another friend. He hadn’t realized she remembered. He hadn’t realized that it was important to her too.

“You okay, Sunshine?” Alya said, rubbing his head with her knuckles. “You look a little out of it.”

Adrien shook his head, his shaggy hair flying around him in a halo. “Yeah, yeah, I’m good,” he said. “Great, even.” He couldn’t stop the Chat-like smile that spread across his face. “I’m just… I just…”

Alya met his eyes. “Oh. My. God. Agreste, you have got it REAL bad for my Mari.”

“MY Mari,” Adrien retorted. Then he clapped a hand over his mouth. “…Shit."

Alya’s eyes widened. “REEAAAAL bad.” She clasped her hands together. “Lucky for you, I’m already writing Nino’s best man speech for your wedding.”

At that moment, the door opened, and Marinette - wobbly, shaky, perfect Marinette - walked through it.

“What happened?” she said, looking at Alya. “All I remember is this dream where… um–” She cut off, as her eyes took in the other person in the room, and she flushed red from her chin to the tops of her ears. “Adrien?” she squeaked. “You’re - you’re here?”

“Wasn’t a dream, babe,” Alya said, slinging her arm around Adrien’s shoulder again. “Loverboy here kissed you so hard you passed out.”

This time, Marinette wasn’t the only one shrieking in embarrassment.


	4. The Jacket Comes Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug returns Chat Noir's jacket. And... some other things. >:)

Ladybug had been quiet all patrol. Almost uncharacteristically so. In fact, she seemed… angry, if anything.

When they came to a stop atop Notre Dame Cathedral, Chat finally asked her what was wrong.

She stared at him for a moment, then sighed, turning to look out across the lights of Paris. “You shouldn’t have kissed me,” she said.

Chat blinked. Oh shit. He’d screwed everything up, hadn’t he? She didn’t like him like that, he’d forced himself on her when she didn’t want him back… “I’m sorry, My Lady,” he whispered. “I didn’t… realize you felt that way."

“I was terrified,” she said. “When you asked about the jacket. The only thing I could think was, ‘please don’t tell Chat, I can’t let him know I’m Ladybug.’ And then you KISSED me. And it was just… it was too much.”

Chat swallowed. She didn’t like him. She didn’t like him at all. “I’m… I’m sorry,” he said. “This… I didn’t mean to make things weird between us. It’s just… Nino said you had a crush on me…”

Ladybug shook her head. “Not the point, Minou,” she said. “Regardless of my feelings for you, you kissed me without my permission, and while I was emotionally vulnerable. How would you feel if Chloè told you that she was Ladybug, and then kissed you without asking?”

Chat’s lips tightened. “Pretty awful. I… see what you mean.” Goddammit. He’d screwed up his chances with her, he’d lost her forever–

“So next time you want to kiss me, Minou, please ask first.”

Wait. Next time?

He looked over at Ladybug. She was staring at him, her legs kicking back and forth where they sat… and her gaze kept drifting downwards. Towards his lips. She was staring at his lips.

He licked them, and cleared his throat. “My - My Lady,” he said, all nerves and jitters, “may I kiss you?”

A broad, dorky smile spread across Ladybug’s face. “My dear Chaton,” she purred, “I’ve been waiting for you to ask that all evening.”

He was on her in an instant, his pounce carrying both of them toward the ground. She laughed as he pressed his lips against her neck, tracing his way towards her perfect face, and she sounded like warmth and sunshine and all the things that made her the girl he loved, that made Ladybug Marinette. He pressed his lips against hers, and she twined her arms behind his head, tugging on his shaggy hair.

“You know,” she growled into his ear, between kisses and breathless gasps, “I’m still wearing your jacket under the suit.”

“Yeah?” Chat said, tracing the small of her back with his claws. He leaned in to nibble on her earlobe.

“Yeah,” she murmured, pulling him in tight. “And I’m not wearing anything else.”

He stopped mid-nibble, wide-eyed, staring at the freckles on her perfect cheek.

She turned to look at him, sparks dancing merrily in her eyes. “Is now a good time to give it back?” she whispered in his ear.

He could _hear_ the smirk in her voice.


	5. Alya Learns a Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alya walks in on Marinette and Chat Noir, and finds out what Adrien does when he's NOT Adrien.

The next morning was a Saturday, so Alya made sure to come by Marinette’s place around 11 to help her plan out her next move. Adrien had kissed her yesterday, after all, and the girl was sure to have been freaking out all night over it.

She pushed through the front door of the bakery with the jingle of a bell. “Morning, Mrs. Cheng,” she said to the portly Asian woman behind the counter.

“Good morning, Alya,” Marinette’s mother responded brightly. “I think she’s still asleep, but you can head on up if you’d like.”

“Isn’t she always?” Alya responded with a roll of her eyes, heading to the stairs.

Much to her surprise, though, Marinette was NOT asleep. Instead, she met her friend halfway up the stairs, coming down… wearing another one of Adrien’s shirts.

“Morning, Alya,” Marinette said, blearily rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “Didn’t expect to see you here so early.”

Alya pursed her lips. “Girl, where DO you keep getting his shirts?” she said. “Are you actually breaking into his closet for them, or do you…”  
There was a green flash from behind Marinette’s door.

Alya gasped. “He slept over last night, didn’t he?” She punched Marinette in the shoulder. “You sly dog.”

“What? No!” Marinette said, moving to block her from going up the stairs further. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“Sure you don’t,” Alya said, pushing past her and into her room.

There, she found not the Adrien she was expecting, but rather Chat Noir, balancing on his baton and midway through climbing out of Marinette’s skylight.

They stared at each other for a moment, both completely flabbergasted. It was Chat Noir who spoke first. “Umm…” he said, confused, “this isn’t what it looks like?” Then the baton collapsed under him, and he crashed into the floor, coming right up to Alya’s feet.

“Really?” Alya said, putting her fists to her hips and staring down at the superhero. “Cause it looks like you snuck into my best friend’s bedroom to steal her virtue.”

“Nobody stole anything, Alya,” Marinette said with a yawn as she came up the stairs behind her. “There was only… um… a lot of kissing?”

Chat smiled nervously. “Yeah, yeah, just… y'know, a few hours of sloppy makeouts…”

“Okay, but Adrien kissed you yesterday,” Alya said, rounding on her friend. “And you’re wearing his shirt. So… what the hell is going on here?” The pieces should have been adding up, she knew, but every time she tried to make them fit, they… fuzzed. Like something wasn’t quite right in her brain.

Marinette glanced back and forth between her friend and the leather-clad superhero, her eyes wide. She was terrified, Alya could tell, but tough. She could smell a story here, and she needed answers.

Finally, Chat sighed, getting to his feet. “I guess the Chat’s out of the bag,” he said, stretching his arms upward until his back popped. “Plagg? Claws in.”

And, suddenly, in a flash of green light, Chat Noir was gone, replaced with a very sleepy, very sweaty, very SHIRTLESS Adrien Agreste.

Alya’s eyes widened as she took in the sight before her. She opened her mouth, and suddenly Marinette was there. “Please don’t scream!” she squeaked. “Maman doesn’t know Adrien was here last night…"

Alya took a deep breath, then looked down at her friend, who was practically shaking with anxiety and terror. “All right,” she said, softly. “But I’m gonna need an explanation as to why you’re suddenly not only TALKING to Adrien, but SNEAKING HIM INTO YOUR ROOM at night…” she rounded on Adrien, “and as to how the hell you’re Chat Noir!”


	6. Secret Identity Theft

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alya does some interrogation, and finds just the wrong number of answers.

“Okay, girl,” Alya said, settling into Marinette’s chaise. “Spill. How long has this been going on, and how long did you know he was Chat Noir?”

Marinette squeezed in on herself, hugging her knees to her chest as she tried to disappear into her computer chair. “I, uh… he told me yesterday. When he kissed me?"

They’d kicked Adrien out of the room when it had become clear that, as long as the Amazing Shirtless Agreste was around, Marinette would be completely incoherent. So now it was just the two of them, and Alya had some investigating to do.

“Okay.” Alya leaned forward. “And that just… happened? Out of the blue? You can barely talk to Adrien!”

Marinette licked her lips, all nerves. “Okay, you, uh, you remember Evillustrator?”

"Yeah. Didn’t he ask you out on a date?”

Marinette nodded. “Yeah. So… Chat chaperoned, to keep me safe and all? And we just… started hanging out, after that.”

Alya tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

Marinette shook her head, unfolding herself from the chair and stretching her legs. “I’m not really sure. He just… started dropping by my balcony, every so often, you know?” She shrugged. “I guess he wanted to know me better.”

“Okay.” Alya stood up and began pacing Marinette’s bedroom. “So, you’ve been friends with one of Paris’s superheroes - the people I RUN MY BLOG ABOUT - for FOUR MONTHS and didn’t TELL me?”

Marinette turned away, her eyes cast towards the floor. “I… I didn’t want anyone finding out,” she mumbled. “He seemed so lonely.”

Alya stopped and put her finger to her chin. “I guess I can forgive that,” she said. “Does Ladybug know? About you two?”

Marinette was silent for a moment. “I have no idea,” she said, finally.

***

Adrien was feeling a little bit shit, to be honest. He hadn’t meant to reveal his identity to Alya, but he’d panicked, hadn’t been able to come up with another way out of the jam he’d found himself in. And then, once he’d done it, Marinette had kicked him out of her room.

He paced his room, unwelcome thoughts bouncing around in his skull. Was she made at him? Did he screw things up again?

“Hey,” Plagg said, floating in front of his face. “You gotta stop, you’re gonna wear a trench in the floor.”

“Not now, Plagg,” Adrien said, turning back and walking the other way. He’d fucked up. How was he going to apologize?

He heard a knocking on his window, and looked up to see Ladybug, hanging by her yo-yo. She waved at him, and smiled, and it was like sunshine. And everything was suddenly going to be all right.

Adrien climbed up to his window and pulled it open, and she leaped into his arms, pressing her lips against his. “Hey, Minou,” she said. “I’m sorry about earlier.”

Adrien squinted. “What are YOU sorry about?” he said. “I revealed my identity. I blew both of our covers, to a REPORTER, no less.”

Ladybug shook her head and giggled. “No, she agreed to keep your secret,” she said. “And she still doesn’t know mine.”

Adrien blinked. “How did you pull THAT off?”

“Took some misdirection.” Ladybug pulled away from him and sat down on his bed, looking over the rock-climbing wall that covered a full wall of his bedroom. “So… yeah. Sorry for kicking you out. It was just… I needed to think fast, and your bare chest was kind of distracting.”

Adrien felt Chat’s grin slide across his face, and he knew he was going to regret what he was about to say. But it was too perfect not to. “You know,” he purred, slinking closer to his Lady, “you didn’t seem to find it that problematic last night. In fact, I seem to recall you licking-”

Ladybug reached up and flicked his nose. “That’s because I was focused ON your abs, you silly Kitty.”

Adrien raised an eyebrow. “Well, if they’re THAT distracting…” he said, and shucked off his shirt.  
He heard Ladybug’s breath catch, and he could see her face, as red as her suit. Her gaze lingered on his exposed chest, as if she couldn’t quite tear herself away. As if she didn’t quite want to.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured weakly, her eyes still glued to his torso. “What were we talking about?”

“I believe we were talking about this,” Adrien said, wrapping his arms around her slight body and pulling her in for the kiss.

***

Alya hadn’t meant to see it. She hadn’t meant to see anything. She’d just gone over to Adrien’s place to talk to him about her friend, make sure he treated her right, make sure that their relationship went okay. Then she saw the familiar flash of red outside Adrien’s window. She saw her kiss him. She saw him kiss her back.

She saw a lot more red then. Angry red.

That son of a bitch Adrien was two-timing Marinette with Ladybug.


	7. Revenge of the Shirt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloè finds out, and takes it poorly.

Marinette wandered into class that Monday surprisingly early, wearing a bemused, sleepy smile and yet another of Adrien’s shirts.

“You’re here early,” Alya said.

“Yeah,” Marinette replied, sliding into her usual seat. “I slept over at Adrien’s last night. Had to get up early to make it back home.”

“I can tell,” Alya said, gesturing to Marinette’s choice of attire.

Marinette looked down. “Oh. Whoops.” She rested her hand on her open palm, a dreamy smile across her face. “I don’t have time to go home and change, either.”

“Girl, what is with you?” Alya said. “I figured you’d get a little less… intense about Adrien once you actually got together.”

Marinette swayed in her seat, almost dancing in contentment. “I thought you’d be proud of me for finally being able to speak to him.”

“I mean, yeah, I am, but…” Alya put a finger to her forehead. “Look, has he mentioned anything about Ladybug?”

Marinette turned sharply. “What? No. Should he have?”

“Yes he god damn should have,” Alya ground out from between her teeth.

But, before she could explain herself, they were interrupted by something that they really should have seen coming.

“Dupain-Cheng!” Chloè shrieked from the door of the classroom. “Are you wearing ANOTHER of my Adrikin’s shirts?”

“Oh god, here we go,” Alya said, burying her face in her hands. Marinette, meanwhile, just shrank back into her seat a little bit.

“I can’t BELIEVE you!” Chloè said, advancing on Marinette. “It’s bad enough that you keep stealing his clothes, but to have the gall to keep wearing them around him?”

“Back off, Bourgeois,” Marinette said, straightening in her chair. “Adrien gave me this shirt.”

“Oh yeah? And when was that?” Chloè put a finger to Marinette’s sternum. “When you walked up to him and turned into an absolute spaz?”

“No.” Marinette stared her down, unblinking, unflinching. “Last night, to use as pajamas.”

Chloè stared for a moment, frozen, processing what Marinette had said. Then she pulled back. “You little LIAR,” she said, swinging her hand in for a slap. Alya cringed.

The slap never landed.

Marinette caught Chloè’s wrist without even moving her gaze from the blonde girl’s face. There was no give to Marinette’s grip, not even a tremble. When had she gotten so strong?

“Never. Call me. A liar. Again.” Marinette stood, her whole height rising above the desk - and though she was much shorter than Chloè, Alya could swear that her friend towered over her adversary. “Got it?”

Chloè stared at her, then pulled her hand free of Marinette’s grip. “Fine,” she said with a wave and a flounce, then stuck out her tongue. “Hussy.”

“Hey. Chlo.”

Adrien stood in the doorframe, glowering. He looked positively thunderous, as if he were about to smash down a wall with just his eyes. Alya recognized the look behind Chat Noir’s eyes whenever an Akuma threatened Ladybug, and she wondered how she’d never seen it before - the black cat within her friend. Chloè seemed to sense it too, and she retreated a step, back towards her desk.

Adrien stepped forward. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t talk shit about my girlfriend.”

The entire classroom fell silent at that, and Alya realized just how many classmates had wandered into the room without her realizing it, and exactly how much noise they had been making. Even Marinette seemed surprised at the easy way the word “girlfriend” slipped out of Adrien’s mouth, at the feeling and the force he put behind the word.

Chloè, though, looked broken. Shell-shocked. If Alya didn’t know any better, she’d have sworn she was about to cry.

“You know what?” Chloè said, gathering her bag up in her arms. “You don’t deserve me today. None of you do.” She stormed out of the classroom, slamming her shoulder into Adrien as she pushed past him.

Adrien turned to watch her go, then immediately went to Marinette. “Are you all right?” he asked, cupping her face with one hand.

Marinette smiled. “I’m fine, Adrien,” she said. “Thank you for standing up to her, though.” She ran a hand down his cheek. “My brave knight.”

Adrien’s goofy grin lit up the room, and suddenly, Alya wasn’t so sure about what she’d seen the night before last. Not with the way Adrien was looking at Marinette.

Maybe Chat Noir and Ladybug WERE just friends. Maybe she hadn’t seen what she thought she had. Maybe they HADN’T kissed two nights ago.

But… it had looked pretty clear, from where she was standing.

She’d have to ask Adrien herself.

***

Guess what’s up next? That’s right, kids, Chloè Akuma! (People can get Akumatized more than once in this AU.)


	8. What Chloè Lost, What Chat Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloè has been Akumatized again, and Ladybug and Chat Noir re-learn their partner dynamics.

“So how long has this been going on?” Nino asked, pointing at Adrien and Marinette. The two of them grinned sheepishly, glancing at each other.

“A, uh, a few days?” Adrien replied, not breaking eye contact with his girlfriend. She giggled, bashful, tucking a hair behind her ear.

Then they heard a a scream from outside the classroom.

“AAAAADRIEEEEEN!!!!!!”

Everyone stopped, and Adrien groaned. “Dammit Chlo,” he said, slamming his head into his desk.

“Did she… did she get Akumatized again?” Rose asked.

“Is that even possible?” Alix said, her eyes darting to Alya.

Alya shrugged. “I have no idea,” she said. “Nobody’s ever been more than once, as far as I know.”

Marinette stood. “Right,” she said, stepping forward. “I caused this one, so I’ll see if I can talk her down.”

Adrien stood and grabbed her shoulder. “She wants me,” he said. “I’m coming with you.”

Alya nodded. Adrien was Chat Noir, of course he’d be in on this. She just hoped he could protect Marinette if everything went south.

Marinette looked him in the eyes and nodded, then turned to the rest of the class. “Everyone else, stay inside,” she said, with a pointed glare at Alya. “Especially you.”

Alya held up her hands. “Hey, not a problem.”

Marinette stared at her for a moment, then sighed and dragged Adrien out of the classroom by his wrist. Immediately, Alya snatched her phone.

Nino twisted in his seat to look at her. “You’re going out there, aren’t you.”

Alya smiled, grabbing her bag and throwing it over her shoulder. “Duh.”

***

The hallways had cleared of students fairly rapidly as soon as the new Akuma showed up. This was lucky, of course, because it meant that there were no civilians in the way… but Ladybug had to admit that it was a little bit unlucky, too, because it meant they couldn’t see what Chloè’s powers would do until she hit one of them.

“Any thoughts, My Lady?” Chat said as he dodged another pitch-black blast of energy.

Chloè didn’t look particularly abnormal, was the weird part. Well, not abnormal for another Paris teenager. Her clothes had changed from bright, cherry yellow to torn black leather and denim, her normally tight ponytail replaced with straight black hair and her blue eyeshadow turned to raccoon-eyed mascara. She’d gone full-on emo, and she was certainly wailing like it.

She fired another sluggish blast of black, heart-shaped energy, one that Ladybug easily avoided. “I don’t know,” she said. “She hasn’t said anything aside from y- from ADRIEN’s name since she started.”

As if on cue, the Chlokuma wailed again. “AAAADRIEEEEN!” she moaned, tears wetting her voice. She released an explosion of black energy, causing the two superheroes to backflip out of her range.

“It’s either heartbreak or jealousy,” Ladybug mused as the two of them somersaulted away from another blast, “so I’d guess it’s going to be a bit like Dark Cupid.”

“It’s not heartbreak, My Lady-”

“And besides,” Ladybug continued, flicking Chat’s nose with a predatory grin, “if she hits you I can always just kiss you again.”

Chat froze, flabbergasted, and Ladybug cartwheeled away from him with a giggle. “Split her attention!” she called. “Let’s see if we can figure out where the Akuma is!”

Suddenly, Ladybug was thrown up against the lockers, ChloEmo pressed against her, crushing her against the wall. “Adrien was my only friend,” she hissed. “And he BETRAYED me. ABANDONED me.”

“Isn’t Sabrina your friend?” Ladybug offered. She saw Chat sneaking up behind Chloè’s back, and immediately knew that the best option here was to buy time.

Chloè laughed, a broken, tormented laugh of someone who has nothing left. “Sabrina isn’t my friend,” she said. “She’s using me. All I had was Adrien, and now he’s…” She spun, flinging a bolt of black energy at Chat Noir. “GONE!”

Chat froze, umbra lightning running up and down his body, and before Ladybug had time to think she’d slid between Chloè’s legs, grabbed Chat, and yo-yoed away, sprinting around the corner as soon as her feet touched the ground.

“Chat?” she said, laying him against the wall. “Talk to me, Chat.”

“Dad…” he groaned.

Ladybug started. In all the time she’d known him, she’d never heard Adrien refer to his father as “Dad” before, only “Father.”

“Dad… where’s Mom?” Chat said, his voice suddenly breathy, ragged, quiet. “Where’s Mom?” Tears began to fall from his eyes. “Dad, please!” he begged. “What happened to Mom?”

Pure ice shot through Ladybug’s spine as she suddenly understood what Chat had been trying to tell her. It wasn’t heartbreak or jealousy that Chloè was feeling. It was LOSS.

Adrien may have lost his mother, but he still had her, he still had Nino, he still had Plagg and Alya. Aside from Adrien, Chloè had no one. And she thought she’d just lost him.

A lot of things about Chloè suddenly made a lot more sense. And Ladybug knew what she had to do.

“Mom,” Chat moaned. “Come home. Please. Please don’t be dead. Please!”

“I’ll be right back, Minou,” Ladybug said, kissing him softly on the lips. Then she straightened and went back towards Chloè.

The girl was waiting for her. Ladybug felt the blast of black energy shake her ribs, seize her heart, and for a moment she saw Chat disappearing in her arms and Timebreaker skated away laughing. But that was another Chat, another Ladybug. That wasn’t her memory. And Chat was still here.

She advanced on Chloè, each blast of energy forcing her to watch every time she’d nearly lost Chat Noir - or Adrien - to an Akuma. Dark Cupid. Puppeteer. Volpina. But she hadn’t lost him. Chat was still here.

Adrien was still here.

Ladybug could see it now, a locket that she hadn’t noticed before, one at odds with the rest of Chloè’s emo outfit. She knew what was inside it. A picture of Chloè and Adrien, smiling together as children. She’d thought that Chloè had kept it to lay some kind of claim on him, but she’d been wrong.

Ladybug reached Chloè and threw her arms around her, pulling her tight into a bone-crushing hug. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Then she pulled the locket from Chloè’s neck and smashed it beneath her foot.


	9. What's the Matter with Chloè?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien finds out what's eating his oldest friend, and learns a secret he never expected.
> 
> Meanwhile, Alya confirms her suspicions, and only gets angrier.

Chloè had hidden herself in the girls’ bathroom - ironically, in the same spot Marinette had told Adrien that she used to hide in whenever she embarrassed herself in front of him. He didn’t feel comfortable with walking into the ladies’ room, but there was no one else in it, and there was something he needed to do.

“Hey, Chlo?” he said, his voice soft. “You in here?”

She sniffled from inside one of the stalls. “Go away.”

He sat down against the stall door. “Nope,” he said. “I can wait out here for you if you want, but I’m not leaving anytime soon.”

They sat together in silence for a few moments, before Chloè finally broke it. “She’s good for you, you know,” she said. “I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen you this happy.”

Adrien laughed. “Yeah. Yeah, she is.” He leaned his head back against the stall door. “But that doesn’t mean I’m gonna abandon you, you know?”

“Why not?” Chloè sniffled. “She hates me. And she has every right to.”

Adrien turned to look through the stall door at her. “Chlo… I had no idea you felt that way…”

“Yeah, well, it is what it is.”

“Why do you harass her, then? If you don’t like how she is to you, why do you–”

“I need her to hate me.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I’m in love with her, Adrien!” Chloè shouted, slamming her hands against the floor. “Okay? Is that what you wanted to hear?

Adrien jumped, sighed, and shook his head. "Okay, I’m coming in there.”

Chloè huffed. “Fine,” she said, creaking open the stall door.

Adrien pushed through it and threw his arms around her. “You know I don’t care who you like, or what you’re into, right?” he said into her ear. “You were my only friend for years. You are still my friend, and I’m not gonna just leave you behind.”

Chloè sobbed into his shoulder. “Everybody always leaves me…”

“Not this time.” Adrien patted her back. “I’m not going anywhere.” He pushed her out to arm’s length. “But… you may need to apologize to Marinette, okay? You’ve put her through a lot of shit over the years.”

Chloè nodded with a whimper. “I just… Nobody knows.” She met his eyes. “You can’t tell anyone. Please.”

“Lips are sealed.”

Chloè wiped her nose. “Ah, shit. I think this shirt is ruined.”

Adrien smiled. “THERE she is. You got a spare?”

Chloè shook her head. “Not today, no.”

Adrien pursed his lips. “Okay. I think I’ve got an idea.”

***

Adrien exited the bathroom and turned to Marinette, who was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. She was still wearing his shirt, which was a size or two too big for her. He wasn’t sure whether it diminished or enhanced her disgruntled demeanor.

“What happened in there?” she said, trying to smother the irritation on her face with the empathy that he’d fallen for, the empathy that was clearly warring within her.

“Uh… a lot.” Adrien leaned against the wall. “She’s gonna need some time, I think. And possibly some very good therapists.”

Marinette laughed. God, she was so beautiful when she did that.

“May need a small favor,” Adrien said with a wince. “Can she… borrow one of your shirts?”

***

It was 11 PM, and Alya had yet to upload the footage from that battle to the Ladyblog. She’d spent hours poring over it, watching every frame. Watching Chat, watching Ladybug. Watching ADRIEN.

She’d kissed him. Once after he’d gotten hit, once after the Miraculous Cure had taken effect and he’d snapped out of it. And he’d kissed her back. He’d looked at her like a drowning man swimming for air. He was still in love with her, and by the looks of it, she was reciprocating.

Son of a bitch. The conclusion was inescapable.

Adrien Agreste was cheating on Marinette.


	10. Confrontations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloé confesses to Marinette, and Alya confronts Adrien.

Two very different girls approached two very different houses that rainy Paris evening.

***

The knock on the door of the Dupain-Cheng Boulangerie & Patisserie was answered by a very large, jovial man with an equally large, jovial mustache. He was wearing an apron over her usual clothes, and his hands were still caked in flour and dough. " _Bonjour!_ " he said. "Welcome to Tom & Sabine's... oh. Hello." The smile dropped from his face as he realized who he was speaking to. "You must be that Bourgeois girl."

"H-h-hi, Mr. Dupain," she said, shivering in the rain. "Can I come in?"

"It's Dupain-Cheng," he said. "Have you been crying?"

Chloé nodded. Her hair was down and dripping, and her clothes seemed to be soaked through. Including the shirt she was wearing, which Tom recognized as his daughter's. When had Marinette given this girl her shirt? He'd thought they hated each other.

"Come inside, out of the rain," he said, gently. "Let's get you warmed up."

***

The buzz at the gate of the Agreste Mansion was answered by a robotic camera which emerged from the gate. "Who is it?" the camera called.

Alya waved, nice and cozy beneath her umbrella. "Hi, I'm in Adrien's class!" she said with a bright smile. "He invited me over earlier to study?"

"Hmm... Adrien said nothing about a study partner."

Alya shrugged. "Just tell him Alya's here," she said. "Oh, and let him know that I wanted to talk about our report on  _cats._ "

***

Chloé sat on the Dupain-Cheng's couch in their living room, next to a roaring fire and wrapped in a blanket that Sabine Dupain-Cheng had insisted she borrow. She was sipping exquisitely handmade hot chocolate from a "#1 Dad" mug when Tom entered the room, quietly closing the door behind him. "Now," he said, settling into the chair opposite her. "I presume that you're here to speak to my daughter?"

Chloé sniffled. "Yes, I am," she said, attempting to force some of her usual pride back into her face.

Tom leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "You understand why I'm a little disinclined to allow you to do so?"

Chloé closed her eyes and breathed in, then out, and opened them again. "Mr. Dupain... Mr. Dupain-Cheng, I have been horrible to Marinette for four years. I would not have been surprised if you had turned me away at the door."

Tom pursed his lips. "I considered it. But I couldn't just leave you out in the rain." He leaned back. "I know you say you understand, but I think you need to realize that Marinette was not always as strong as she is now. I've had many nights of trying to comfort her while she cried over something you did."

Chloé looked down, blinking away tears. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I know... I know I don't deserve another chance."

"Nobody ever does," Tom responded. "But everybody needs one." He stood, laying a hand on Chloé's shoulder. "Something happened today, I take it?"

Chloé nodded. "I... I was Akumatized. Again. And when I came out of it..." She sniffled. "Adrien made me realize how much I'd been pushing people away." She looked up at the baker, a shaky strength in her eyes. "I came here to apologize, Mr. Dupain." She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Dupain-Cheng. I wanted to apologize to your daughter, for everything."

Tom smiled, then, and Chloé could see where Marinette got it from. The warmth behind her smile, the genuine  _welcome_ in her face whenever she saw her friends. "Mme. Bourgeois," he said, "that would be completely acceptable."

"Thank you," she breathed, and burst into tears.

***

Adrien opened the door to his bedroom and came face-to-face with Alya. He stared at her for a moment, looking her up and down. "Are you wearing Nino's shirt?" he asked with an amused smile.

"Yes. I am." Alya's voice was clipped, annoyed. "But that's not important right now."

"We don't have a project on cats," Adrien said.

Alya pushed past him into his room and flopped onto his bed. "I was trying to come up with a code that you would figure out," she said. "I guess I overestimated your intelligence."

"What are you talking about?" he said, sitting down on his leather swivel chair in front of his bank of computer screens. "I'm a bit confused."

Alya rolled over and sat up, locking eyes with the boy. "You've got one chance to come clean, Agreste," she said. "Are you cheating on Marinette?"

"Wh... what?" he stammered. "Alya, what are you even talking about?"

"Are you or are you not?"

"No!"

Alya reached into her pants pocket - wait, was she also wearing Nino's pants? - and produced her phone, which she brandished in Adrien's face. "Okay," she said. "Explain THIS."

"This" turned out to be a picture of Ladybug kissing Chat Noir in the hallway during the Akuma attack that morning.

"Uh," Adrien said. "...She kissed ME, not the other-?"

Alya swiped to the previous picture. A photograph of Ladybug at his window--and him LETTING HER INSIDE.

Oh shit. Alya  _knew._ Marinette's secret was out, and now...

"Chat Noir has been in love with Ladybug for as long as they've been partners," Alya said. "I should've known that you wouldn't have been able to give that up."

Wait, what?

"Are you even planning on telling Marinette? Does she know that you're two-timing her?"

...

What.

***

Chloé could tell that Marinette was having trouble being civil with her. And she couldn't blame her. She'd been horrible to the smaller girl for years now, and one night wasn't going to make it better. But she could certainly try.

"What if I don't want your apology?" Marinette said, crossing her legs beneath her in her chair. "What if I don't want to forgive you?"

Chloé sighed. "Then I'll... I'll understand," she said. "I know that... your forgiveness is something I won't deserve. But I feel like..." She closed her eyes. "I only just figured out today why I've been treating you as badly as I have. And it's... I feel like you deserve to know why it happened."

Marinette leaned forward, pressing her hands against her ankles. "You don't have to say anything you don't want to."

A tear escaped Chloé's eye. "You've always been so kind," she said. "Even when I never deserved it." She wiped the tear from her cheek. "It's... not comfortable talking about this. I'd always be worried that someone would use it against me. But you... I think you're one of the only people I trust with this."

Marinette tilted her head. "But... you KNOW I don't like you."

Chloé nodded. "Yeah. And that's my fault. But... you don't tell people's secrets. You don't hurt people for no reason. So I do trust you. And... well, Pollen says I need to trust SOMEONE."

Marinette uncrossed her legs and hugged her knee to her chest. "...Okay. What is it you need to say?"

Chloé breathed in slowly. "Okay. I, uh. I think I'm in love with you."

Marinette stared at her. "What?"

"I think I'm gay."

Marinette stared at her. "If this is just some misguided ploy to get me away from Adrien so you can--"

"No! No, no, no," Chloé said, shaking her head. "You're with Adrien now, and I've seen how happy you two make each other. I don't want to get between you. It's just..."

"It's just what, Chloé?"

"I don't know!" Chloé said. She closed her eyes and breathed in. "Yes I do. I do know. I'm sorry for snapping."

Marinette lifted an eyebrow. "You... you really are committed to this, aren't you."

Chloé nodded. "Look, what it is is... when I was younger, my mother left. Just... left. Walked out on us. I never knew why. And ever since then... I didn't want to feel that again, you know?" Chloé sniffled. "I just... I couldn't--I couldn't take anyone else l-l-leaving me like that."

Understanding dawned on Marinette's face. "So you started pushing them away first."

Chloé nodded. "So I started pushing them away first. And... when I fell for you... I couldn't handle it."

Marinette leaned forward and put a hand in Chloé's shoulder.

Chloé sobbed. "I... I needed you to h-hate me," she said. "I couldn't let--let myself get close... because..."

"You couldn't risk it."

Chloé nodded.

Marinette patted her shoulder. Then pulled her in for a hug.

Chloé gasped in surprise.

"Make no mistake," Marinette whispered in her ear. "You have a LOT of things to make up for. You have hurt every single member of our class in a lot of ways, and you are going to have to spend a LOT of time fixing it." She pulled back and held Chloé at arm's length. "But you're not going to be doing it alone." She smiled. "I'll be right there with you, the whole way."

Chloé broke down in tears.

***

Chat Noir raced across the Paris rooftops, dashing towards his Princess's balcony. There was something they needed to talk about, something he needed her help with. He'd managed to get Alya to back off, promising he'd talk to Marinette immediately and "tell her" himself.

He needed to talk to Marinette, because he was worried that Alya would be perfectly willing to release his identity in revenge for something he hadn't even done. He landed on Marinette's balcony, and barely even gave himself time to steady himself before he opened the trapdoor and flung himself through it.

So of course he didn't see Chloé leaving Marinette's.

But she saw _him._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, you thought it would get better BUT IT IS ONLY GETTING WORSE >:P
> 
> Guess what comes neeeeeext


	11. Adrien's Problem, Marinette's Solution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien talks to Marinette about Alya confronting him, and they work out what to do next.

Marinette heard the skylight open and the thump of Chat Noir hitting the floor at a roll. She spun in her chair, a look of surprise across her face. "Chat Noir?" she gasped. "What are you doing here?"

Tikki popped up from behind her and perched on the top of her head. "Hello, Adrien!" she giggled.

Marinette blinked. "Oh, right, you're my boyfriend."

Chat stood up, brushing off his shoulders. "Did you seriously forget, Princess?" he said with a grin.

She scowled and flicked his nose. "Hey, I have had a very busy night. Very stressful."

"Right. Chloé," Chat said, stretching himself across her chaise. "Claws in!" Green light ran across his body, revealing the blond model beneath and launching a tiny black cat into Tikki. "How was she?"

"Plagg, be careful!" Tikki shrieked as she was tackled by a flying Kwami.

"She was... different?" Marinette said, swirling her chair contemplatively. "She seemed more THERE tonight, if you know what I mean. More honest."

"Was she okay?"

Marinette thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah," she said. "Or at least, she's getting there." She looked down at Adrien with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "And she's REALLY good at Mecha Strike."

Adrien smirked. "Who do you think taught her how to play, My Lady?"

Marinette smiled. "I thought so," she said, then turned back to her sketchbook to flip it closed. "Chloé and I already ate all the cookies, but I saved some cheese for you, Plagg."

The two Kwamis halted their midair wrestling match, as Plagg looked at Tikki, then at Marinette, then at Tikki again. "Teeks, this is the best Ladybug you've ever had!" he shouted, diving for the cheese plate.

Tikki giggled, covering her mouth.

Marinette stood, then knelt behind her chaise, placing her hands on Adrien's shoulders.

He twisted in his seat to look at her. "Mari?" he said. "What are you doing?"

"What?" she replied, smirking. "I can't give my boyfriend a shoulder massage?" Then she started rhythmically squeezing, and ohhhhh god that felt good, and--

And suddenly her forearm was around his threat in a chokehold. "Now, Kitty," she said sweetly, "are you going to tell me what's wrong, or am I going to have to choke it out of you?"

"What do you mean?" he said. "Nothing's wro--"

She tightened her bicep against his windpipe, cutting him off mid-word.

"Glg."

She sighed. "Adrien, you barreled in here at top speed without even checking to see if anyone was in my room. You're LUCKY Chloé already left." She unwrapped her arm, then clambered on top of him and cuddled against his chest. "You're doing your model smile. I know something's up." She looked up at him through her eyelashes, and he nearly melted just looking at her. "You can tell me."

He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I know, Princess," he said. Then he sighed and leaned back. "Alya thinks I'm cheating on you."

Marinette scoffed. "With who?"

"Ladybug." Adrien briefly stuck out his tongue, moistening his dry lips. "She has pictures of you at my window, and us in the hallway today."

Marinette stared at him for a moment, then started laughing, the bright sound of her voice echoing off the walls of her room. "What?" she giggled. "That's ridiculous. I'M Ladybug."

"Yeah," Adrien whispered. "But she doesn't know that." He cupped her chin with his hand and lifted her face to meet his eyes. "She came over to my house, said that if I didn't tell you... she would."

"So?"

"And then she'd publish it on the Ladyblog."

Marinette's eyes widened. "Oh." Her lips tightened. "Dammit, Alya!" She stood and began pacing. "I... just... argh!"

Adrien sat up. "I was hoping you might know what to do?"

"I'm gonna have to tell her," Marinette growled, shaking her head. "Gotta do it."

"Marinette, no!" Tikki yelped. "What about your identity? If Alya finds out..."

"She knows Adrien's already, and she hasn't said anything," Marinette said. "I think we'll be okay."

Tikki floated down to Marinette's desk and crossed her arms with a huff. "I don't think this is a good idea."

Marinette unzipped her purse and reached in. "You know," she said, "I still have... ONE more cookie." She held it up with a smile.

Tikki tried to keep scowling. Tried.

***

Chat Noir left Marinette's house feeling much better than when he arrived. Marinette had a plan, she was going to take care of things, everything was going to be okay, he thought as he hurdled his way across the rooftops of Paris.

Then he was struck from the side by something that knocked him out of midair, dropping him onto a nearby rooftop. He tried to roll with it, only to find himself pinned against the roof access by a...

Black and yellow...

Umbrella?

Being wielded by a very angry blonde in what appeared to be a bee costume.

"You _son of a bitch_ ," she hissed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's finally here!


	12. A Heated Discussion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug goes to talk to Alya, while Chat Noir tries to survive a fight with Paris's newest superhuman.

"I mean, Adrien hasn't said anything to me, you know?" Nino's said. "I don't think he'd do that to her. Dude's really loyal."

"I know." Alya sighed into the phone that she was holding up with her shoulder as she reached for her keys to unlock her front door. "That's part of why I'm so... confused by this. I never thought he'd be that kind of guy." She unlocked the door to her parents' apartment and pushed through it, waving to her parents, who were cuddled up together on the couch. "Just got back from Adrien's," she told them. "I'm going to bed, okay?"

"Okay," her mother called. "Call us when you're ready for bed so we can come say good night."

"Sure thing," she said, then put the phone back to her ear. "Hey, sorry about that."

"No big," Nino replied. "Gotta ask, though--who's he cheating on my girl _with_?"

Alya swallowed. "I, uh, I never saw her face," she said. Technically true.

"Daaaaang," Nino said. "Well, I hope everything goes okay."

"Yeah." Alya sighed. "I gotta go, okay babe? Love you."

"Love you too, best girlfriend in the whole world," Nino responded. "Don't stay up all night stressed over this, okay?"

"I'll do my best," Alya said, smiling. Nino always kept her grounded. One of the reasons she loved him.

She hung up the phone and opened the door to her room, reaching for the light switch. She flipped it up, and the lights came on--

Revealing Ladybug, sitting on her computer chair, leaning back with her legs crossed.

"Hello, Alya," she said. "I think we need to talk."

***

Chat Noir rolled his eyes. "Let me guess," he said. "You want to take my Miraculous."

"What? No!" The girl in black and yellow shoved him to the ground with an expression of disgust. "Why would I want that?"

Chat rolled, coming up onto is knees with his baton held at the ready. "Because you're an Akuma?"

"What? No I'm--" The girl looked down a her outfit. "Oh." She shook her head and perched her umbrella on her shoulder. "Well, I'm not an Akuma! I've got my own Miraculous, you know!"

"You do?" Chat straightened. "Wait, if you're not an Akuma, then who are you?"

"I'm Queen Bee!" she shouted, swinging her umbrella at him. "And you're a jackass!"

"Me?" Chat rolled underneath her swing. "What did _I_ do?"

"You're _sleeping_ with my best friend's _girlfriend_!"

"...what?"

***

"Holy shit!" Alya leaped back, slamming herself against her wall of her room. "What... what are you doing here?"

"Shit, shit, shit!" Ladybug leaped from the bed, hands out. "Please don't scream, okay?"

Alya shook her head. "Uh... yeah, okay? But what's going on?"

"There's... something we need to talk about." Ladybug heaved a breath, her shoulders rising and falling as she prepared herself to speak. "It's about... my boyfriend."

Alya gasped. "Oh my god, Ladybug is dating?" She leaped up in the air with a squee of delight. "Is it Chat Noir? Are you dating Chat Noir?"

Ladybug gave her a demure smile, squeezing her head between her shoulders. "Yes."

"That's great!" Alya said, clapping her across the shoulders. "Ladynoir is real and I get the exclusive!" Then she stopped and turned to look at Ladybug. "Except... wait. Adrien is dating my friend Marinette." She looked at Ladybug. "Did he tell you about that?"

"Yeah, that's... sort of why I'm here," Ladybug said. She rubbed her elbow. "Please don't be mad."

"Why would I be--"

"Spots off."

***

"I'm sorry, I'm doing what?"

Queen Bee pointed her umbrella at him. "You're sleeping with Marinette!"

Chat's eyes narrowed. "Uh...?"

"Don't deny it, I saw you!" she said, sweeping the umbrella at him and slinging a gust of wind at Chat, nearly knocking him from the roof. He rolled with it, launching himself across the street with a powerful stroke of his legs and landing on the opposite rooftop.

Queen Bee followed him, a pair of gossamer wings unfolding from her back as she floated across the street. "She's cheating on Adrien, and _you're_ cheating on _Ladybug_!" she shrieked, and Chat Noir could see tears beginning to pool beneath her eyes. "She makes him so happy," she croaked. "I can't let you take that away."

She slammed her umbrella into the ground, and suddenly Chat was trapped in a honeycomb that sprang up from his feet. He struggle to free himself, but his hands were trapped--no Cataclysm.

She approached him slowly. "I believed in you," she whispered. "I wanted to be wrong, you know? I wanted Antibug to be wrong."

Chat stopped struggling. "You wanted..." He stared at her. "Chloé?"

Queen Bee stared back. "You know who I am?"

Chat nodded. "Of course I do, Chlo," he said. "We grew up together. You think I wouldn't recognize you?"

"You... what?"

Chat closed his eyes. "Claws in."


	13. Heart to Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alya and Chloé come to terms with learning that their friends are the superheroes of Paris, and Adrien helps Chloé become more comfortable with her role as Queen Bee.

"Well?" said Marinette, standing in front of her best friend. "Come on, Alya. Say something. Please." She rubbed her elbows. "Scream. Squee. Yell. Hit me. _Something._ "

Alya kept staring.

Marinette stepped forward and grabbed her friend by her shirt collar. "Say something!"

Alya cleared her throat without a single change in her expression. "You're wearing Adrien's shirt..."

Both of them looked down at Marinette's torso, where she was indeed wearing Adrien's shirt. Marinette looked back up at Alya and shrugged. "Boy clothes make good pajamas."

There was a moment of absolute silence, and then both of them began to laugh.

It was a good kind of laughter, the kind that fills your lungs even as it leaves them, the kind that leaves you breathless for hours after you've stopped. Alya doubled over, leaning on Marinette for support, and nearly pulled both of them to the ground. Marinette clutched Alya's computer desk, trying to rebalance them both.

"I can't... believe..." Alya gasped between wheezes, "you... let my dad... eat you!"

"He was a dinosaur!" Marinette defended. "What... else should I... have done?"

"Not... jump into... a dinosaur mouth!" Alya cackled, falling backward onto her bed. "Oh god. Oh god. This is..." She burst into laughter again.

It took a full minute for both girls to calm down. Finally, once all the laughter had subsided, Alya sat up in her bed. "Do you ever have those moments," she said, "where you realize how profoundly WEIRD your life is?"

Marinette smiled. "Alya, I'm a teenaged superhero and the icon of half of Paris," she said. "My life is MADE of those moments."

***

Plagg and Pollen zipped around Adrien's room, playing what appeared to be an elaborate game of tag. Judging by the giggling that came from the bee and the exasperated sighs from the tiny cat, Pollen seemed to be winning by quite a lot.

Adrien and Chloé were sitting on Adrien's couch, like they'd always done when they were younger. Adrien found himself keenly aware of how long it had been since they'd done this, how long it had been since Chloé had had someone she could talk to. How long it had been since she'd let down her walls.

"Look at you!" Adrien said, lightly punching his friend's shoulder. "Already got your own Miraculous and everything! How long have you had her?" he asked, watching the yellow blur as she zoomed around the room in delight.

"Two weeks," Chloé responded. "The comb showed up in my bathroom last Monday and I kind of... freaked out and left her in a drawer."

Adrien nodded with a smile. "I guess the bug Kwami are a little freakier than a tiny cat."

Chloé looked at him. "No."

Adrien nodded.

"You're telling me... Ladybug?"

"Called Tikki a 'giant bug' the first time they met and tried to throw her out the window."

"Pfft... hahahahaha!" Chloé tried to cover her mouth, but her laughter still pealed out and filled the room in a way that Adrien had started to become used to recently, thanks to Marinette's visits. "Oh my god. That's... that actually makes me feel a lot better."

Adrien leaned back. "So I guess we know the answer to whether Miraculous holders can be Akumatized."

Chloé shook her head. "No, I haven't been wearing her," she said. "Didn't put her on until I saw you going to Marinette's tonight."

"Damn."

Chloé sighed a buried her face in her hands. "I'm just... in the worst, aren't I? I cause all these Akuma, and then I finally get powers..."

"Chloé..." Adrien looked at her. "You wouldn't have the Miraculous if you didn't deserve it."

"Bullshit."

Pollen dropped onto Chloé's lap. "It's true!" she said. "The Guardian judged you worthy, Chloé! And he's never wrong."

"See?" Adrien punched her shoulder again. "Even the gods agree! You're better than you think you are."

Chloé sniffled, the ghost of a smile lighting up her face. "Thanks," she breathed."

Adrien smiled back. "Anytime."

***

"Wait wait wait."

"Alya?"

"You're Ladybug."

"...yeah?"

"You're LADYBUG."

Marinette looked at her with a confused twist to her mouth.

Alya leaped up from her bed, shrieking. "MY BEST FRIEND IS LADYBUG!" She grabbed Marinette around the waist, pulling her up from the bed and twirling her in the air. "I'M best friends with LADYBUG!"

"Oof!" Marinette slapped at Alya's arms. "Alya, put me down!" she shrieked. "Everyone's going to hear you!"

Alya set her down, laughing. "Oh my god, Marinette. My biggest hero has been sitting right next to me this whole time!"

"And... you're not... mad?" Marinette said, with a wince, her voice taking on a bit of its customary anxiety squeak.

"Naw, girl!" Alya said, clapping her on the shoulder. "I know how secret identities work."

Marinette gulped. "But... you were mad when I... Chat..."

Alya laughed. "I was mad 'cause I thought you were keeping secrets from me about your love life, babe," she said. Then she leaned in close. "So," she said. "Ladynoir is real? Has my ship sailed?"

Marinette smiled so wide her eyes closed. Alya knew, and she wasn't mad. She had Adrien AND her silly kitty. Everything was right with the world. "Yes."

Alya shrieked again. "You have to tell me _everything_!"

***

"Wait," Chloé said. "What about Ladybug?"

"What about her?" Adrien said, kicking back on his bed and watching their Kwami wrestle on the ceiling.

"Well..." Chloé leaned forward, putting her fist to her chin. "Does she know about Marinette? Are you planning to stop flirting with her?"

Adrien laughed. "Give it a sec."

Chloé looked at him. "What do you-- _ohmygod Marinette is Ladybug_." She slapped herself in the forehead and fell back against the bed. "Uuggghh, I can't believe I didn't _notice._ "

"Theeere it is," Adrien said, laughing. "And, to be fair, neither did I. I worked with her for MONTHS and I didn't realize who she was until she accidentally started wearing my clothes to school."

"Huh." Chloé sat up, scratching her chin. "I wonder if there's something about the... Miraculouses? Miraculi?"

Adrien shrugged. "I like Miraculi, personally."

"I wonder if there's anything about them that makes it hard to recognize the wielder."

"We do wear masks, Chlo."

"Yeah, but..." She drummed her fingers on her thigh. "That didn't stop you from recognizing Bubbler. Or Stormy Weather."

Adrien sat up. "That's... that's a pretty good point. I should ask Mari about it tomorrow."

Chloé smiled. "Yeah." She looked at Adrien's clock. "Oh Jesus, it's late. I gotta get back home and let you get some sleep!"

"Naw, I'm okay."

Chloé shook her head, standing up and calling Pollen to her. "You get some sleep, Adrien," she said, punching him in the arm. "And don't stay up all night thinking about Laaaadybuuug."

***

"This is Tikki, the goddess who gives my my powers."

"Hello!" the Ladybug goddess waved. "I've heard so much about you, it's wonderful to finally meet you!"

Alya smiled. "Marinette's told you about me, has she?"

Tikki nodded. "Some! But most of what I know comes from Master Fu."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If any of you saw the earlier version where I said I was taking a break?
> 
> Lies.
> 
> Chapter's been edited for a new ending, Cliffhanger and all. Enjoy, suckers!


	14. Team Miraculous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloé's trying, she really is. But some things don't work perfectly even when you try your best, and so the new Team Miraculous springs into action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We interrupt your hiatus to bring you THE FIRST UPDATE IN ALMOST A MONTH! I hope you enjoy. Oh, and please post your theories in the comments for what's going to happen next because I have no idea, and I rely on reader suggestions to keep this fic going.

"Oh, come on!" Queen Bee yelled as she flitted around the courtyard of the Collége Francois DuPont. "I actually tried with this one!"

The courtyard filled with illusory Chloés as a haunting tune carried from Rena Rouge's flute. Fashionista leaped between them, pawing frantically at each one. "Somehow, I don't believe you," Rena said, swinging the flute like a conductor to direct the illusions to flee. "You've been awful for how many years now?"

Fashionista's gaze fixed on Rena as she pinpointed the source of the illusions, and she flung a beret at the fox heroine like a frisbee. Bee leaped in front of her and blocked with her open umbrella as the line from Ladybug's yo-yo wrapped around Rouge's ankle, yanking her out of the line of fire. All of the Chloés vanished at once.

"Be nice, Rena," Ladybug said, hanging from one of the railings of the second-floor landing as she unwrapped the yo-yo from around Rouge's ankle. The fox flipped and landed on her feet, and Ladybug dropped down next to her. "At least she's trying."

Rena huffed. "Sometimes it seems like I'm the only one who remembers how awful she was to you."

"What did you even say to her to make her like this?" Chat said as he deflected a grasping scarf with his staff. "She's freaking out."

Queen Bee leaped into midair and opened her umbrella, gliding across the courtyard out of Fashionista's line of sight. "I told her I thought our relationship was bad for her," she said. "I'm a toxic person and..."

Chat leaped towards her and poked her side. "Queenie, we've talked about this."

"Come back to me, Chloé!" Fashionista shrieked. "I'll make sure you never leave me again!"

"Wow," Rena grumbled. "This is sad."

Ladybug spun her yoyo, swatting a swarm of earrings out of the air. "Sabrina's a bit co-dependent," she said. "I don't think there was really a better way for this to go."

"Yeah, didn't she try to do your geography homework for you?" Rena said as she called a group of illusory Chats into being.

"Ugh, don't remind me," Ladybug said. "Chat, any ideas?"

"Nothing yet, My Lady!" he called back from across the courtyard. "She's got too many accessories to tell!"

"Jesus, you two, get a room," Rena said as she directed her army of Chats to distract the Akuma.

"Got it!" Queen Bee called from overhead, where she was floating on her open umbrella. "That's the hat I gave her during the group project!"

"Fantastic. On it!" Ladybug said. "Chat, Rena, cover me!"

Chat nodded and charged Fashionista as Rena began to play, summoning a blizzard of white butterflies that attacked Fashionista's eyes. Ladybug took a moment to measure the distances in her mind, then pitched the yo-to into Fashionista's beret.

Less than thirty seconds later, the object was destroyed and the Akuma purified, with sabrina returning to normal. "Nice work, everyone," Ladybug said as the team gathered around her. "Rena, Bee, you're really getting the hang of all this. We're still going to want to practice later, just to make sure we know each other's strengths and weaknesses." She looked at Chat. "Chat, it's you and Rena's turn to patrol tonight. Think you can handle it?"

He grinned. "Of claws I can, Bugaboo. When has this cat ever let you down?"

She rolled her eyes with a grin. "Don't remind me." She held out her hand. "Hands in, everyone."

" _Pound it_!" they all cried together.

"I gotta go talk to Sabrina," Queen Bee said. "Make sure she's okay."

Ladybug put a hand on her shoulder. "Need me to come along?" she said. "For moral support?"

Queen Bee licked her lips, thinking. "Nah," she said. "Gotta learn on my own sometime."

"Okay. Good luck." Ladybug turned and flicked her finger under Chat's chin. "And I will see _you_ after class."

"Of course, My Lady," Chat said, his eyes chasing her finger with a lovesick grin.

She pressed a quick peck onto his cheek. "Love you."

"Love you too. Good luck on the math test."

***

Marinette and Alya detransformed in the stalls of the girls' bathroom. "You know, Alya said, "happy as I am about BOTH of my OTPs being real? You two really are sickeningly sweet."

Marinette giggled. "I can't help it if I'm happy, Alya," she said, pushing through the bathroom door. "Adrien's so... so..."

"Okay, girl!" Alya laughed, pushing her towards their next class. "Don't need to go over it again."

Marinette smiled shyly. "Yeah." She looked back at Alya. "Still, it is nice having you on the team. At this rate, Hawkmoth won't stand a chance!"

***

Less than a mile away, a man stood in a darkened room, surrounded by white butterflies. "I think, Nooroo," he said to the air, "it may be time to advance the timeline."


	15. A Late Discussion

"Did Ladybug take you to meet the Guardian yet?" Chat said as he and Rena bounded across the rooftops on the patrol route he'd laid out.

She flung herself across the streets with wild abandon, shrieking with glee as her body met the onrushing wind, unconnected to the ground in any way but through the downward pull of gravity. Chat understood the feeling--he'd been much the same during his first days. Her feet touched rooftop with a shoulder-roll, her hair streaming out behind her. "Not yet," she said. "I've heard he's pretty funny, though." She glanced down into the darkened street below, lit only by the nearby lamps. "Oh, mugging. You want this one?"

Chat gestured downwards. "By all means."

Rena grinned, cartwheeling over the side of the building and landing with her flute already to her lips, twisting and unleashing a blast of musical flame. The mugger staggered back, leaving Rena the opening she needed to dash forward and snap the flute into the man's windpipe, neatly catching his dropped knife with her other hand.

Chat nodded approvingly as he turned to grab the attention of the police car he'd seen two blocks over. They quickly wrapped up the case, put the mugger into custody, and returned to their patrol.

"So," she said. "You brought up the Guardian? I assume for a reason."

"He's getting up there in years," Chat said. "He hasn't been able to use his Miraculous in a while, and he was thinking about passing it on."

"Yeah?" Rena said. "Wonder who he's thinking about picking."

"Actually..." Chat said, "We were thinking about maybe giving it to Nino."

Rena tripped mid-stride, face-planting into the gravel rooftop.

" _Sacré Bleu!_ " Chat yelled, halting and turning to pick her up. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, fine," Rena said, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "Just... surprised, is all."

Chat reached up to touch her face. "You have gravel scratches all up your face," he said, absently, as if he were noting the time and not observing a surprisingly gruesome--if harmless--injury.

She stroked her cheek. "Oh," she said. "So I do."

Chat pursed his lips and shook his head. "Okay, we're not gonna make my usual mistakes tonight. We're gonna stop here." He leaned against a nearby rooftop air conditioning unit, patting the corner beside him. "Sit down, take a load off."

"You sure Ladybug's okay with that?"

Chat laughed. "Ladybug nearly slapped me when she found out I'd tried to run on a twisted ankle, and it wasn't even all that bad of an injury." He patted the air conditioner again. "As she'd say: _take care of yourself, you stupid cat_." He gestured vaguely towards Rena. "Except, you know, fox."

"Ugh. Fine." Rena leaned against the air conditioner and crossed her arms over her chest. "So. Why are we thinking about giving my boyfriend a Miraculous?"

"Well, you may have noticed, but we're all pretty reckless," Chat said. "The mammals more than the bugs, obviously, but it's not like Queenie or Ladybug have the best self-preservation instincts themselves."

Rena nodded. "Didn't she jump into my dad's mouth when he turned into a dinosaur?"

"See, that is exactly what I mean," Chat said. "And, you know, you run the Ladyblog. You've seen the kind of trouble I get into." He sighed and wiped his mouth with the back of his wrist. "And that's not even counting the time I died."

Rena gaped at him. "You did  _what?_ "

Chat smiled wistfully. "Timebreaker."

"Oh."

"And hey," he said, jostling Rena's shoulder. "I saw how ridiculous you were about chasing a story even  _before_ you got your Miraculous. So we're sort of..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "We need someone a little saner than we are."

Rena laughed. "What, and Nino's  _sane_?"

"No, but how good of a superhero do you think Rose would be?"

Rena rubbed her chin. "That's a very good point. I mean, I love the girl, but..."

"Oh, yeah, don't get me wrong, she's great," Chat said. "But even Princess Fragrance was more adorable than scary, and we only had a problem because Ladybug wasn't there." He drummed his claws on the air conditioning unit. "So. Nino?"

Rena ran her own claws across her scalp. "My first instinct is that I don't want to put him in danger..."

Chat shook his head. "According to the book Ladybug and I stole from my father, the Turtle Miraculous is the toughest one in existence. Wayzz is LITERALLY the Kwami of Defense."

Rena stopped short. "Why  _did_ your father have that book, anyway?"

Chat shrugged. "I've been wondering that too. But I'm not dumb enough to  _ask_. 'Why do you want to know, Adrien?' 'Uhhhh...'"

Rena laughed. "I get your point. So, I guess we're doing this? We're really bringing Nino into this?"

Chat stood and took a few steps across the gravelly rooftop before pivoting on his toes. "I think so, yeah."

"When?"

"Friday evening? Would you rather do it yourself, or..."

"I'd rather you guys were there, if that's okay."

"Of course, it's okay," Chat said. "We're a team." He smiled. "Your face feeling any better? The scrape seems to be mostly gone."

"What?" Rena reached up to touch her face. "Oh, yeah, I kinda forgot that was there." She smiled. "Yeah, all better."

"Good," Chat said. "Race you to the Eiffel Tower?"

Rena grinned back, exposing her vulpine teeth. "You're on, catboy."

 


	16. Nino Doesn’t Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nino’s been invited to Alya’s house, but he doesn’t know why. While they wait for him to show up, Team Miraculous has a rather... awkward conversation.

“I don’t know,” Adrien said, lying on the bed and tossing a ball to himself—the very picture of Steve McQueen from that one American movie. “I think she has to like at least three girls before it counts as an Asian fetish.”

”Oh, but she did!” Alya said, leaning forward in her computer chair with a savage twinkle in her eye. “Marinette, Ladybug, and Kagami, that’s three!”

”Okay, but Ladybug and Marinette are the same person,” Adrien said. “Doesn’t count.”

”Yeah, But she didn’t KNOW that,” Alya said, waggling a a finger. “So it still counts as two.”

”You two are the worst,” Chloé interjected. She was sitting on the floor, leaning against Alya’s sofa, alternating glares between the two of them. “Can’t you talk about anything _other_ than the girls I happen to like?”

”Yff plff,” Marinette said from the couch, clutching one of Alya’s pillows tight to her face. The only thing anyone could see of her face was her ears, which were a shade of red rarely seen on the human body.

”See?” Chloé said. “You’re embarrassing Marinette.”

“Okay, fine,” Alya said, turning to Adrien. “Let’s talk about _your_ Asian fetish instead.”

“Hey, I am proudly Marinette-sexual,” Adrien rebutted, his hand over his heart. “Only ever been one girl for me.”

“Oh really?” Chloé said, raising her eyebrows. “Because I seem to remember a certain _somebody_  gushing about the Hitachiin brothers from Ouran Host Club.”

Adrien reddened all the way to his ears. ”You can’t blame me for that one!” Adrien said. “They were twins!”

Alya cackled. “Why am I not surprised that your first crush was a cartoon, you weeb?”

Marinette grabbed another pillow and, without looking, chucked it in the general direction of her best friend. It landed far short and about a foot to the left.

”No aim without the suit, huh,” Alya said.

There was a knock at the door, and instantly, everyone straightened. “That’ll be Nino,” Alya said. “Hey babe! Come on in!”

Nino opened the door a little hesitantly, poking his head through the door in a manner reminiscent of a frightened turtle. “Uh, hi—”

As soon as Chloé could see his eyes, she turned to Alya to drop her bomb. “Besides, you don’t have any right to judge us,” she said with a smug grin. “I’ve seen the way you look at Ladybug’s ass.”

Nino froze, his hand still on the door handle. Adrien lost his grip on the ball, which promptly smacked him in the face. Alya choked on her own spit. Marinette screamed, burying her face so deep into the pillow that she pretty much stopped breathing.

”Uh...” Nino said. “Did I come at a bad time?”

Chloé smiled sweetly. “Oh, no,” she said, false innocence powdering her voice. “We were just waiting for you!”

Nino pursed his lips. “Okay, if this were an intervention, SHE wouldn’t be here,” he said. “...Actually, why IS she here?”

Alya coughed. “Because... well, because she’s involved in the favor we’re going to ask of you.”

Nino’s eyes narrowed. “Babe, I love you, but I am not filming porn with Chloé for you. I don’t care how good her Ladybug costume is.”

Marinette shrieked and threw herself into the pillows again, screamed for a few seconds, then sat back up, shaking her head. “Okay,” she gasped. “Is anyone in this room _not_ attracted to me?”

All four of them stared at her. Nobody raised their hands.

“So, um...” Nino began. “That was an... interesting non-sequitur.”

Alya shook her head. “Not really.” She stared down at her thumbs, dancing them around each other as she tried to think of what to say. “Okay, so... you know how I’ve been running away from Akuma lately, instead of toward them?”

Nino nodded. “I was suspicious at first, but you haven’t added new footage to the Ladyblog yourself in a while, so I figured...” He sighed. “You’re still involved, aren’t you.”

”More than you know,” Alya said, standing up. “No screaming, okay?”

”Why would I—”

”Trixx, tails up!”


	17. An Uncomfortable Discussion

“Right,” Nino said. “Don’t scream. I can do that.”

The four members of Team Miraculous stared at him, waiting for his reaction. He seemed remarkably calm.

”Don’t scream,” he muttered, his pupils blown wide. “Your girlfriend is a superhero, Alya is a superhero, you’ve seen Alya get STABBED through the CHEST with a SHARPENED LINGUINI and you’re not screaming, you’re not freaking out, you’re not freaking out—”

”Breathe, Nino!” Adrien interjected.

”Can either breathe or not scream,” he gasped, “can’t do both.” He was starting to turn purple.

”Nino, baby, you’re okay, everything’s okay!” Rena Rouge said, holding up her hands, her palms out. “It’s still me, it’s still—”

”Oh my god I’m dating a furry,” Nino finally gasped. Then he collapsed.

The pillow left Marinette’s hand before he’d even finished speaking, and when he reached the ground, his head hit soft.

”See?” Marinette said. “I can aim perfectly well without the suit, thank you.”

Chloé pursed her lips. “Well, I’ll give him this much,” she said. “He didn’t scream.”

* * *

”Is he gonna be okay?” Chat said as he, Ladybug, and Queen Bee waited on a nearby balcony. They’d cleared the room to give Nino a little time alone with Alya to adjust, and so that he wouldn’t be crowded when he woke up.

”He’ll be fine,” Ladybug said. “He usually freaks out at first but he recovers pretty quickly.”

”Like that time Juleka tried to kiss him when we were eight?” Bee added, pushing her hair behind her ear. “I remember him screaming and running away, but I don’t remember what he did after that.”

”He tracked her down and apologized,” Ladybug said, looking down at the shadows their friends cast on the window blinds, “and spent about ten minutes explaining to her why he wasn’t looking for a girlfriend yet.” She smiled at the memory. “I think he ended up explaining consent to nearly everyone in the class three years early, too.”

”Huh,” Bee said. “I think I missed that part.”

”No shit,” Ladybug and Chat Noir replied in unison. They looked at each other and giggled.

Bee arched an eyebrow. “What?” She said, indignant.

Chat laughed. “No offense, Chlo,” he said, “but you weren’t always the most respectful of my personal space.”

”Hrmph. Not fair.” Bee turned back to look at the window. “Things I did while in the closet shouldn’t count.”

”Uh huh,” Ladybug said with a roguish grin and a sideways glance at her partner/boyfriend. “Tell that to Kim.”

”Oh hey!” Chat said, his leather ears suddenly perking up. “One more for the ‘Asian fetish’ column!”

Bee growled and swung her umbrella at him, but he danced out of range, laughing.

She looked over at Ladybug. ”How many times do I have to say ‘lesbian’ before he gets it?”

Ladybug stroked her chin. “I’m not sure he knows the word,” she said. “Try ‘yuri,’ he might understand that!”

Chat’s and Bee’s jaws dropped in unison. “Where the hell did you learn THAT word?” Bee said.

Ladybug giggled, covering her mouth with her fingers. “Well,” she said, reaching towards Chat, “my _boyfriend_...” She flicked his nose, causing him to mewl adoringly. “...is an absolute _weeb_ , so I’ve had to do some research.”

Queen Bee laughed. “Picked a real winner, there, huh,” she said. “You know, I’m technically still single if you change your mind...”

”Nyo!” Chat yelped, leaping into Ladybug’s lap and wrapping his arms around her waist. “ _My_ Lady!”

Ladybug giggled as she ran her gloves fingers through his hair. “Sorry, Queenie,” she said. “You can’t compete with that.”

Bee shook her head with a smile. ”You’re such a friggin’ furry.”

Chat pursed his lips, a dimple appearing on one side of his mouth. “Nino said that too,” he said. “What’s a furry?”

Both girls froze and stared at him.

He looked around, confused. “What?”

”Oh, my sweet cinnamon roll,” Ladybug said, bending down to kiss him on the forehead. “Never change.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can’t believe it’s been over a year since I first started writing this absolute clusterfic. When I began, I had no idea what was coming—each of the first five chapters was supposed to be the last, but you guys kept giving me new ideas and asking for more. This isn’t my fic; never has been. This one is ours.
> 
> Since I started writing this, I got a job, fell in love, lost my virginity, and rented my first apartment. But from the day I got my Ao3, I’ve had this trainwreck of a fic, and all of my readers who love it.
> 
> I have no idea where this is going, but I swear to you, I will finish this someday, even if it’s five years from now. Until then, thank you for reading, for commenting, and for bearing with me through all my hiatuses!


End file.
